LASTING peace may soon return to the university system as the three non-academic staff unions in the system have followed their teaching staff counterpart in suspending their strike action.
The unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
Briefing journalists yesterday in Abuja, the President of SSANU, Mr. Promise Adewusi, said the decision to suspend the strike was informed by the need to give room for negotiation to take place.
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He added that the unions in their usual tradition conducted referendum among their members in the various branches across the country, which showed majority of their members agreeing to the suspension of the four-month-old industrial action.
He said: "The three unions in line with our tradition conducted referendum in the states and the resolution is that the ongoing strike action be suspended for two weeks to create room for the continuation of the negotiation. The Memorandum of Understanding that we had with the ministry of education is that we will suspend the strike for two weeks to enable us start negotiation and resolve all the grey areas that will eventually culminate in the signing of the agreement within the set two weeks."
The SSANU President maintained that the unions went into the meeting with an open mind and that the ball is now in the court of the federal government to be honourable and respect the agreement to prevent the unions from going back on strike.
"We went into the agreement with an open mind and with the understanding that the federal government will respect the agreement reached during the negotiation. We also hope that the processes will be conducted and finished within two weeks that we have given," he said.
On her part, the National President of NASU, Mrs. Ladi Illiya expressed hope that the contentious issues that led to the unions' abandoning their duty post will not arise again but warned that the unions will not hesitate to employ the strike option should the federal government foot-drag in the implementation of the reached agreement.
Her words: "We believe that the issues that led to the unfortunate incident strike action will not be repeated. We also hope that the federal government will respect the agreement this (time) around and also implement it because we will not hesitate to embark on another round of strike should government renege on the implementation of the agreement."
Meanwhile the Gamaliel Onosode led committee of the federal government yesterday met with Academic Staff Union of the University (ASUU) in Abuja in to resume negotiations, which broke down almost two months ago. Details of the outcome were sketchy as at press time but a source said both parties had a frank discussion and fruitful deliberations
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